All models of Raspberry Pi are incredibly useful gadgets that are also really fun to play with. No one seems to understand that better than Infinition who's put together a really cool project called Bjorn. This clever creation works as a useful network tool for penetration (pen) testing and the like but it also doubles as a fun experience thanks to its game-like user interface.
Bjorn is a full-fledged network assessment system but it's also the name of the little Viking character that appears on the display. As you perform certain tasks, he has various graphics that correspond with the features. Bjorn also levels up as you continue to use the system based on what you do with the system.
Outside of the Tamagotchi-like user interface, it's been programmed with a handful of useful features. You can use Bjorn to scan networks for open ports and check for vulnerabilities. It can also carry out system attacks by brute forcing a myriad of protocols like FTP, SSH, etc. Bjorn can also ransack networks and steal their loot—or rather it can implement file stealing using vulnerabilities detected in the network.
According to the official documentation, Bjorn is designed to work with the Raspberry Pi Zero W or Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. While the compatibility works with both the older and new model Pi Zero, it's necessary to have aboard with wireless support. That said, we've seen evidence of other makers successfully running Bjorn on a Raspberry Pi 3B+. Infinition recommends connecting the Pi to a Waveshare 2.13-inch e-Ink display hat for visual output.
If you're excited about this creation — you should be and you're in luck! Infinition has decided to make the project entirely open source, so you can recreate it yourself at home with your own Raspberry Pi. If you'd like to see more about how it works and play with it first hand, you can check out the official Bjorn project page over at GitHub.
This is definitely one of the more unique Raspberry Pi projects we've come across and it's cool to see something so useful get a fun interface. It's important to note, however, that the tools provided by Bjorn should be used with serious discretion and are intended for ethical hacking purposes. Do not use this tool for illegal or immoral activities.
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Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.